2 Corinthians 11:1-6: a reflection

1I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me. 2For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you in marriage to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we didn’t preach, or if you receive a different spirit which you didn’t receive, or a different “good news” which you didn’t accept, you put up with that well enough. 5For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles. 6But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to you in all things.

Paul writes to the Corinthians out of a deep concern for the purity of their devotion to Christ. I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, he says; but I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. He fears that they will be led astray, drawn from a pure and simple devotion to Christ to some other Jesus, some different gospel, some corruption of the truth. His concern is that their devotion to Christ remain pure and simple, not led astray.

Notice Paul's concern: that their devotion to Christ remain simple and pure, not corrupted or led astray. There is a simplicity in true devotion to Christ, a pure and undivided attachment to him; and Paul fears it being corrupted, the Corinthians being drawn away to another Jesus, a different gospel, a distortion of the truth. Just as the serpent deceived Eve, so their minds could be led astray from the pure simplicity of devotion to Christ. His concern is to guard that simplicity and purity, lest they be drawn from Christ to something else that only pretends to be the truth.

That concern is worth taking to heart, for we too can be led astray from the simplicity of devotion to Christ. There are many voices that would corrupt our devotion, drawing us to a different Jesus, a distorted gospel, an adulterated version of the truth; and we can be led astray, our devotion to Christ corrupted from its simplicity and purity, as Paul feared for the Corinthians. Guard the simplicity and purity of your devotion to Christ, not being led astray to another Jesus or a different gospel; hold to Christ himself, in pure and undivided devotion, rather than being drawn away by voices that would corrupt it. Keep your devotion to Christ simple and pure, undistracted and undivided, watchful against being led astray as Eve was deceived, as Paul feared the Corinthians might be drawn from the simplicity that is in Christ; hold to the pure devotion to Christ himself, rather than the corruptions that would draw you from it.

Lord, Paul writes to the Corinthians out of a deep concern for the purity of their devotion to Christ. I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, he says; but I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. He fears that they will be led astray, drawn from a pure and simple devotion to Christ to some other Jesus, some different gospel. His concern is that their devotion to Christ remain pure and simple. Show me Paul's concern: that their devotion to Christ remain simple and pure, not corrupted or led astray. There is a simplicity in true devotion to Christ, a pure and undivided attachment to him; and Paul fears it being corrupted, the Corinthians being drawn away to another Jesus, a distortion of the truth. His concern is to guard that simplicity, lest they be drawn from Christ to something else that only pretends to be the truth. Take that concern to my heart, for I too can be led astray from the simplicity of devotion to Christ. There are many voices that would corrupt my devotion, drawing me to a different Jesus, a distorted gospel; and I can be led astray. Help me guard the simplicity and purity of my devotion to Christ, not being led astray to another Jesus or a different gospel; help me hold to Christ himself, Lord, in pure and undivided devotion, rather than being drawn away by voices that would corrupt it. Help me keep my devotion to Christ simple and pure, watchful against being led astray.